Railway-crossing signal



July 31, 1923. 1,463,753

E. M, BocK RAILWAY CROS S ING S IGNAL Filed Aug. 25 j 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l lo r July 3l, 1923V 1,463,758

. E. M. BOCK RAILWAY CROSSING SIGNAL Filed Aug. 25, 1922 2 Slfleae'cs-Sheer,` 2

iEl 23) E @21A/M1271 The lever E2 will be operated by eastward going trains immediately after the head or the train has crossed the highway; and 'the lever W2 will be operated by westward g ing trains immediately alter the head of the Yhead ot the tra-in shalll have crossed the highway.

The levers E1 and Vin are oscillative inv suitable bearings and 3l on stationary blocks 32 and 33. Springs 34e contacting with the le'vers yield to permit depressing of the respective levers and act to return the depressed lever to its vertical position aiiter each depressing ot the lever.

Thev lever E1 is directly connected with thel latch 20 by a Suitable connecting device, preferably a wire which pulls on the latch to withdraw its point from the stop i9 when theupper end of the lever is pushed in the direction indicated by thel ar'- row 36,' (Fig. 2.) e'

The block 33 extends undery the track. The lever 71 has a downwardly extended member 37 directly connected with the latch 20 bya wire 38 or other suitable connecting device, which pulls on the latch 20 to'withdraw its point'trom the stop 19 whenever the upper end 'of the lever 71 is vpushed in the Adirection indicated by the arrow 39.

The lever E2 is oscill'ative in bearings le on a. stationary block l5 and yis connected with the arm 24, by a connecting device pret* erably consisting of a wire or vcable 46 and a terminal chain 48, giving liexibility tothe connection. The'connecting device pulls on thearm 2d to eifect a quarter rotation clock-V wise lot' the stall" llL to stress the spring` 1'6 to cause the semaphore arml to occupy its original position `at right angles to thev track in readiness for the nent counter clock-` wise rotation ot the statt'.

or cable d3 andV a terminal chain d The lever W2 is oscillated in bearings et() onl a sill 4l which extends under the track and has an upwardly extended member l2 which is connected witlrthe`A arm 26 by a flexible connecting device comprising a wire l 7V which pulls on the arm to effect a quarter revolution clockwise ol the staff le Vtostress the spring 17 and permit the latch 2O to engage rightangles to the track, in readiness tor the next counter-clockwise' rotation oi the statl.

The work of the levers El andl W71 com'- paratively light inasmuch asV they operate only the latch QOgbut'the work of the levers E2 and Til/'2 ismuch greater because they haveI to actin opposition to the main spring 17. l therefore equip the levers E2 and ll with shock absorbers which will now be described.

The levers E2 and lll? are preferably made of gas pipe and the upright members ot said levers are equipped with shock absorbers to absorb part of the shock due to the impact of the rapidly moving actuator.

Each shock absorber comprises a coiled spring secured in and extending upwardly beyond the upper end of the lever1 a rubber cushion 5l surrounding the spring and wire 5? wound around the cushion and securing it on the lever.

A spring e9 is coiled around the horizontal member oit the lever. The lower terminal 49a of the sp'rin0F bears on thej sill 4l an'd'its upperv part acts on the upwardly extended member oi the lever to normally keep the ever in vertical position, but yields toV per mit the lever to be depressedby the actuator.

rlhe parts 50 and 5l yield somewhat under the lirstshock delivered by the actuator, but are nevertheless sutlici'e'ntly" rigid toelleety downward turning of the'up'per end of the" lever, resulting inf one quarterclockwise'ro-4 tation ofthe semaphore stall to place the semaphore arm in ar position transverse to the highway. v

The actuator C comprises aV supporting bar 52 provided with holes 53 to receive boltir for .securing the bar on the tender oit a'loco-y motive in such position thatfthebar will-efrtend outwardly yabove the uppery ends of the operating levers El, E2, 72 and W72; av block supported by -and extended downwardly below the bar, a'hin'ge .connecting the block with the barand a roller 5G rotative in bearings in the block. When the tender goes `forwardly the roller Awill'ride'on and depress the leversE1 and E2 when' going eastward", and' will ride on' and depress the levers 71 and: W2 when'goingwestward.

lllhenrthe tender is going rearwardly, the roller 5G will engage the upper ends ot the operating leversandwill causethe block to swing outwardly on' the hinge 55 to permit the roller'to pass the levers witl vout operating them.

vl believethat ain thetirst' to devise and use a.V stationary vertcal' standard andV a spring-actuated stalll` rotative on the stand-4 ard and carrying a semaphore arm,V and toVV .devise Yand use the simple systemot levers co-'acting with the statt andthe spring which actuates it A; practical advantage otithe lconstruetionY herein set' forth is that 'the' semaphore has only one bearing, friction is" avoids. and the strain and .wear of theoperating parts is reducedfto minimum.

The operation ol theapparatus is'obvious" from. the foregoing description.

l amaware that actuators connected with moving trains have been used: I therefore do notclaim` that feature broadly.`

wWhat l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent isln a signaling device7 the combination of a stationary vertical standard, a tubular semaphore staff rotative on the upper end of the standard; a coiled spring surrounding said standard and having one end attached to the standard and the other end attached to the stelt; a frame secured on the staff and having outwardly extended arms levers and connectionspulling on the arms of said frame to rotate the staff to lstress said coiled spring; a latch plate attached to the stall1 and provided With a stop; a latch pivoted on a stationary support and adapted to engage the 15 stop en said latch pla-te, and levers and cennections effective to retract said latch to `permit said coiled spring to rotate said stall.

ln Witness whereof lf have hereunto signed my name at Elkhart, lllinois, this 16th day 2o of August, 1922. 

